Anyone else got one? @snotty - did you align the green light with the timing mark or TDC to get your version working correctly? I'm trying to work out how the 123 bods expect me to use it. The curves they give you are on top of whatever base timing but being awkward I want to put in real numbers and be able to change the base timing via the app. Great start, got it installed, ignition on...no dash action, no power at coil. It was fine when I parked it. After a small 123 related worry it was a coincidence - I'd pushed one of the loom connector terminals through the plastic case fitting an ignition switch 3 years ago and it chose today to fall right off. That slowed me down! Fish and potato pie for lunch.
My old school 123 is statically timed using the internal LED as a start, so any advance is on top of the 7.5* - so, relative advance, not absolute. I suppose if you can enter any numbers vs RPM, you could make it do absolute advance if you “timed” it using TDC.
That's what I'll do - time to TDC + whatever. More useful to peeps with just a timing mark to add to that so I see why it's set up like that.
I've put in the stock type-4 2L bus 205P curve - 7.5-30 as per this for starters. It will be interesting to compare to the actual 205P it's replacing.
Samba You should see the one size fits all 123 curve downloaded from the 123 site the advance comes in really soon. 1100 - 7.5 1600 - 21.5 3800 - 32 There "tuned engine" one... 1100 - 7.5 1300 - 12.5 (off the mark quick?) 1700 - 12.5 (very different!) 2600 - 28.5 (all in 1200rpm earlier, 4 degs less than "fits all") Taking the average from the earlier graph I make the 205P somewhere between... 1150 - 7.5 1600 - 17.5 2500 - 24.5 3400 - 30 All good fun. I'm somewhere on this curve 99% of the time. The Samba performance bods don't really worry so much about this as we campers perhaps should. Not much point when your engine is always spinning at 3,000rpm plus. Below that they're just trying to do the best they can with not very many HP. 3800 - 32
I have 0.3bar vacuum, how tight should my shorts be? 0.3bar = 30kpa = 225mmhg. That's near enough the 200mmhg the 205P expected. I was expecting the vacuum signal to shoot up from idle then slowly decrease through progression but it increases quite slowly through progression then decreases quite quickly. That's no load. It did manage to add two points to my vac curve making the curve loop the loop.
I've decided to use it as per their crap instructions and treat it as an advance curve from 8 degs rather than total timing from 0 degs. I'll be refitting my 32 vents before I get too far into it but...it's raining.
I posted a set of curves to the Samba and somebody found them and organised them as the file names got mangled Originals at https://www.hamble.online/vowo14/curves/ I even had Richard Attwell asking me a few questions on The Samba..
Indeed. Good work Mike. Your batch I couldn't find my distributor but a few posts down someone attached the one up there^. Is that another of yours?
.m Sorry, no I photographed my circa 1974 engine service manual, and that was what was there - yellow background for the super new 1.7 type 4 that was available, white for old stuff..
I have one fitted, I used the information from here to set mine. https://www.ssvc.org.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=123783
I've read that thread too. There is definitely ongoing across the board confusion about how to install it. Some say set it at tdc, start your curve at 8BTDC and use actual timing numbers. Installed like this the app shows actual timing on the scale marked advance. Others and the instruction say set at your idle timing (8) and use the curve to add advance on top. Like this the app correctly shows advance on the advance dial. Either way there's a bunch of people saying rotate to green light, clamp dizzy, never touch again. This is cobblers. The static timing set like this could be several degrees out. Whichever way, check and fine adjust with a strobe light. OK, what's the difference in practice? As far as driving, I'd say no difference, but... When I had it set TDC and used the curve for real timing as opposed to advance, the engine would barely turn over when warmed up, like a flat battery. No such problems using the timing mark as base then adding timing advance on the map. I believe a 123 of all types "does something" to timing below 500rpm that supposedly makes starting easier. Whatever it's doing, it doesn't seem to like doing it from TDC.
It's probably trying to retard the timing at cranking speed to mimic the way a fully mapped engine management system would do it, which is more retard at high coolant temps. Don't know if the 123+ can sense temp or whether it just sticks a constant retard value in.
It does sense temp and displays it on the app. It agrees with my oil temp which is nice. I wonder then if rather than retard by a certain amount it goes to a set value assuming you have timed it to the mark.
It might have a base ignition map for hot start cranking; these can go to ATDC. If it thinks that it is at 8BTDC and then wants 0, say, but really it's already at 0 'cos you've timed it to TDC, you'll end up with 8ATDC, if that makes sense? But, your symptoms of lazy cranking are more associated with too much advance and the combustion is opposing the starter....
